Sunday, January 30, 2011

Farmer, baker, and postman, Ferdinand Cheval dreamt of building his Palais Idéal (Ideal Palace) for twleve years prior to actually undertaking the project, which absorbed thirty-three years of his life. Inspired in 1879 by the chance discovery of an extraordinary piece of sandstone, Cheval, completely unschooled in building, resolved to become a mason and architect in order to utilize what he later referred to as nature's sculpture. On his postal rounds in the southeastern village of Hauterives (France), he collected stones of odd and fanciful shapes, transporting them home first in his pockets and later by wheelbarrow to be used in his construction. (from Parallel Visions: Modern Artists and Outsider Art, LACMA/Princeton, 1992)

Andre Bréton called him the "undisputed master of mediumistic sculpture and architecture".

from Doing Art Together: Discovering the Joys of Appreciating and Creating Art as Taught at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Famous Parent-child Workshop by Muriel Silberstein-Storfer, Simon & Schuster, 1982

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"The rainbow is a timeless departure point for the imagination. The physics of light and the perception of colour have engaged both artists and scientists.. The colour bar project grew out of informal collaborations in the late 1960’s between artists involved with the Intermedia movement in Vancouver and developed as a model for art and life experiments in the 1970’s. It remains a reference for continuing research. "

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Stopping Off Place is one year old today!Thanks to all who visit, and especially to those who take the time to comment or write. I truly appreciate it. Also, big thanks to all the blogs/people who support this site by sending visitors my way---I'm grateful for the new friends I've made and I look forward to future collaborations.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Handbook of ARTS & CRAFTS (For elementary and junior high school teachers) by Willard F. Wankelman, Philip Wigg, and Marieta Wigg, Wm. C. Brown Co., Dubuque, Iowa, 1961 (1974, Third Edition) (This came in the mail yesterday as part of a Christmas package from my dear friends, Paul and Wendy. Incredible. Thanks! More to come. )